VENICE, La., June 16 (UPI) -- About 19,000 pounds of shrimp caught in an area of the Gulf of Mexico closed to fishing because of the oil spill were seized, U.S. officials said.

The shrimp were caught in a closed fishing area about 13 miles south of Belle Pass, La., the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and U.S. Coast Guard said Wednesday in a release. The fishing haul was seized during the weekend after NOAA received a tip.

Federal officials said 78,264 square miles -- approximately 32 percent -- of federal waters in the Gulf of Mexico have been closed to commercial and recreational fishing as a precaution to ensure seafood from the gulf is safe for consumers. The closures don't apply to state waters.

Environmental Protection Agency officials said they found elevated levels of nickel above benchmark levels for aquatic life, which could affect fish and shellfish exposed for an extended period. However, the EPS said it was unlikely the contamination was caused by the BP spill that began April 20 when a Transocean rig leased by BP exploded, killing 11 workers, and later sank. The leak, nearly a mile below the surface, is the worst oil spill in U.S. history.

On the economic front, The Small Business Administration said it had approved 66 economic injury assistance loans to date, totaling more than $3.9 million for Gulf Coast small businesses affected by the BP oil spill. Additionally, SBA officials said they've granted deferments on 386 existing SBA disaster loans in the region.

President Barack Obama signed into law Tuesday an amendment to the Oil Pollution Act of 1990 that authorizes advances from Oil Spill Liability Trust Fund for the oil spill. The U.S. Coast Guard now is authorized to obtain multiple advances of up to $100 million each from the fund to help underwrite the federal response. The total amount of all advances can't exceed $1 billion, the incident cap under current law, the White House said